New Zealand taxpayers will be subsidising foreign finance companies no matter which consortium is chosen to build Transmission Gully under the Government’s planned public private partnership (PPP) says Labour’s Transport Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.

“Both candidates in the consortium short-list announced today[1] include foreign investors set to make a mint from the Government’s decision to use the unnecessarily expensive option of a PPP to build Transmission Gully.

“Transport officials have already confirmed that using a PPP to build Transmission Gully will triple the cost to an estimated $3.4 billion. Now we know where all that extra money is going – offshore.

“The interest in this project shows that private investors see it as a low-risk, high-return investment. The Government has not reduced its overall level of risk but has significantly increased the cost to taxpayers.

“Once again National has proven it is more interested in helping foreign investors make money than working in New Zealand’s best interests. It is ideologically driven nonsense to use a PPP to build Transmission Gully that helps National’s mates and hurts the New Zealand taxpayer.”